Talat Mehmood

Profile: Sililo Figota, Emerio Fainuulua

Winning was a family affair

WINNING bronze medals for Western Samoa in boxing was a family affair for Sililo Figota and Emerio Finuulua. They’re first cousins, although any family resembl ance isn’t immediately apparent.

Figota, at 24, is a deceptively slightly built, light middleweight with an approp riately bouncy, happy-go-lucky personality. By contrast, the more reserved 26-year-old Fainuulua be came a familiar heavyweight presence at the Games Village, strolling im posingly in his t shirt and lava lava.

Figota believes winning bronze in his preferred weight class at the Games

“proved a point” to the New Zealand selectors who’d dumped him late last year. Based in Auckland since 1986, he gave up his job as a timber worker to train, initially for the Oceania champs late last year where he won a gold medal for New Zealand. But the Kiwi selectors had already picked Andy Creery (who also won bronze) for the light middleweight Games berth and told

Figota to drop to welterweight.

Figota insists he’s a natural light

middleweight: “I lost my strength going

down to welterweight.” He lost a split points decision in the national trials and refused to stay at the lower weight for the Games. “That’s why I’m boxing for Samoa.”

Despite huge crowd support, Figota exited the Games competition with his

bronze medal in a straight points loss to Englishman Richard Woodhall, who went on to take the gold. True to his personality, Figota initially insisted he should have won the fight, taking the first and last rounds. But

several days la ter, he ruefully conceded the previous two

fights against

Jervis Rogers, of the Bahamas, and Abrar Hus sein Syed, of Pakistan, had sapped his strength.

“I felt really tired in the legs and shoulders,

right from

round one. Two hard fights and too much mas

sage, perhaps,”

he grinned. “If I was fit I could have beaten him.”

Samoan box ing coach Gene

Peter says Figota fought terribly: “He

did everything wrong. When he got into the ring he was already lost.” Figota hadn’t trained enough to get through three hard fights in a row, says Peters.

But he agrees the Samoan boxer could have won: “If he hadn’t fought the two previous fights, he would have beaten Woodhall. He’s had the overseas expo sure, he knows what to do.”

While Figota’s problem was too much hard boxing, Fainuulua’s was having not enough. He went straight into the semi finals on a bye and lost a l-4points deci sion to Canadian silver medallist Patrick Jordan.

Peters say he thought Fainuulua should have won on points. “But the judges saw he wasn’t fit enough and nominated the other fighter.” □

Talat Mehmood

Joy: Sililo Figota (left) and Emerio Finuulua celebrate bronze medals for Western Samoa.